Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) filed a complaint to the House Ethics Committee Tuesday following a physical altercation between Reps. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Tim Burchett (R-TN) at the Capitol that morning.
Burchett was one of the eight Republican lawmakers who voted to vacate McCarthy from his role as speaker of the House last month. And he noted that the two men haven’t spoken since the vote.
According to reporter Claudia Grisales and Burchett, McCarthy elbowed the Tennessee Republican in his back while walking past him. Grisales documented that Burchett asked the former speaker why he elbowed him before chasing after him. McCarthy denied shoving Burchett, to which the lawmaker retorted, “You got no guts, you did so, … the reporter said it right there, what kind of chicken move is that.”
McCarthy later said claims that he elbowed Burchett in the kidney were being overblown.
Upon learning of the incident, Gaetz slammed the former speaker. On X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, Gaetz wrote, “This is wild. McCarthy resorting to pushing people in the halls. What a weak, pathetic, husk of a man.”
Gaetz apparently felt further action needed to be taken, as he then penned his complaint to the Ethics Committee. “It has come to my attention that this morning, November 14, 2023, following a meeting of the House Republican Conference, Representative Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) assaulted Representative Tim Burchett (R-TN) in the hallways of Capitol complex,” he wrote.
The Florida congressman was notably not a witness of the event but detailed that several individuals did see the altercation.
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